We actually shopped around until we found a hospital in our area with low c-section rates. On a related note, the anesthesiologist was paid close to $10k for administering the epidural.
Here in Norway, we were refused a c-section as my wife being fed up after 26 hours wasn't a valid reason for having one.
It also cost $0 total, with a baby delivered and 5 days in the 'new-parents-hotel' at the hospital, which included monitoring, help and instruction, and vaccines.
Our insurance company sent us a letter explaining that the anesthesiologist was out of network, and sent us a check for $9,500. A month later we received a bill directly from the anesthesiologist for the same amount, and we paid him ourselves. I obviously can't say what happened after he deposited that check, but I am quite certain that he was paid $9,500.
